British Authorities Arrest Russian Captain of Cargo Ship Involved in North Sea Collision

British authorities have arrested the captain of the cargo vessel Solong, which collided with the oil tanker Stena Immaculate in the North Sea. The captain has been identified as a Russian national, according to reports from CNN.

The incident occurred while Stena Immaculate was anchored in the North Sea, carrying a significant amount of aviation fuel under a contract with the U.S. military. Following the collision, British police launched a criminal investigation and detained the 59-year-old captain on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

A spokesperson for Ernst Russ, the shipping company that owns Solong, confirmed that the arrested individual is a Russian citizen. Other crew members on board included Russian and Filipino nationals.

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Humberside Police reported that the captain remains in custody as investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision. Authorities are cooperating with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to assess the impact of the incident.

Following the collision, aviation fuel leaked into the sea. The extent of environmental damage remains under evaluation.

Earlier, a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship Solong collided with the U.S.-flagged oil tanker Stena Immaculate in the North Sea, triggering large fires and a major rescue operation, The Telegraph reported. The tanker, carrying aviation fuel for the U.S. military, was anchored off Immingham when it was struck.

Over 30 casualties have been brought ashore, while some crew members remain unaccounted for. British authorities deployed helicopters and rescue vessels to contain the fire and evacuate survivors. Maritime experts suggested the Solong may have been on autopilot at the time of impact.